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Winners of the #ERN2023 Photo Competition

The #ERN2023 Photo Competition celebrated science, technology and art in the most creative way and the most eclectic mix of ideas, disciplines and perspectives creating the most far-reaching conversations, in-depth debates, and inspiring developments and playing an important role in making science accessible to a wide audience. This initiative occurred under the European Researchers’ Night 2023 event that took place on September 29, 2023, in different cities of Portugal – Braga, Coimbra, Lisboa and Évora and around Europe. In Braga, the main event happened at Altice Fórum Braga. This year’s motto was Science for Everyone – Sustainability and Inclusion. The #ERN2023 Photo Competition was an open competition and everyone was encouraged to capture scientific phenomena happening all around us and submit up to two original photographs in a unique category: ‘Science for Everyone – Sustainability and Inclusion’ (nano/micro images obtained through microscopes, images related to the labs, setups, sample preparation, simulations, everyday life related to science, etc.) All selected photos were evaluated by a jury composed of internal and external representatives from different areas. Please, find below the 3 winners: First place: HÉLDER FONSECA, PHOTO 30 2073: The ghost yellow room Second place: FREDILSON MELO, PHOTO 52 Bloom, Algae! Bloom! […]

September 29, marked the return of the European Researchers’ Night

Last Friday, September 29, marked the return of the European Researchers’ Night — the annual celebration of innovative research taking place simultaneously in more than 30 countries and 300 cities throughout Europe. The diverse programme gathered more than 400 researchers and included games, hands-on activities, interactive experiences, a ‘nano-quizz’ and ‘workshops’, where different areas such as chemistry, biology, physics, geology, mathematics, optometry, and biotechnology were crossed. These were just a few of the possible applications that ECUM – University of Minho and International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), many other partners introduced to more than 1400 visitors at Altice Fórum Braga. The audience defied all researchers with relevant questions and expressed genuine wonder as they saw “magic” happening before their eyes. This year, ‘Science for Everyone – Sustainability and Inclusion’ was the motto that framed an event committed to raising awareness about the role of science in achieving sustainability and inclusion goals among school students and different audiences, while identifying key societal concerns about climate change and sustainable growth and linking them to science-oriented solutions and proposals. This European project consortium includes as partners the National Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon, the Nova School of […]

OPTIRAS: Advancing Sustainability in Aquaculture

Today we are celebrating World Maritime Day! This celebration holds immense significance as it serves as a global platform for recognizing and celebrating the pivotal role of the maritime industry in connecting nations, facilitating international trade, and ensuring the world’s prosperity. INL continues to play a pivotal role in driving innovation and sustainability in various sectors, and one of the initiatives towards aquaculture sustainability is the OPTIRAS project. OPTIRAS, short for ‘Optimising RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture Systems) Technology in Europe’, is a pioneering project that focuses on enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of recirculating aquaculture systems. RAS technology is vital not only for efficient fish farming but also for minimising the environmental impact of aquaculture operations. These systems reduce water usage and help maintain water quality, ensuring the health of aquatic species and reducing pollution. OPTIRAS project aims to promote the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and best practices in recirculating aquaculture systems across Europe. Renato Gil, an INL researcher working on the project, recently gave an interview where he shed light on the innovative approaches being taken. To learn more about Renato Gil’s insights and the OPTIRAS project’s impact, you can watch his interview here. On World Maritime Day, and as an […]

Conference on Tools and Tests for Safer-by-Design Nanomaterials at INL

The Conference on Tools and Tests for Safer-by-Design Nanomaterials, took place, this week, in Braga – Portugal, at INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory. This conference was organised by the SBDToolbox Project team and addressed the most promising methods and tools to obtain the relevant data encompassing the specific properties that differentiate nanomaterials from chemicals. We paid special attention to the particular needs of the diverse impact and application areas, namely health, food or environment and their relationship in the integrative context of ONE HEALTH. This unique event on Tools and Tests for Safer-by-Design Nanomaterials brought together researchers, policy-makers and industry in a full programme with insightful plenaries, invited talks, and networking opportunities.

Revolutionising cancer monitoring: INL’s microfluidic chip enables earlier diagnosis and personalised treatment

Circulating tumour cells, or CTCs, are the agents responsible for cancer’s spread to distant parts of the body and have been an enigma in the realm of cancer research. Their analysis, termed liquid biopsy, allows for non-invasive and continuous monitoring of cancer through a simple blood test. However, until now, this analysis has been limited by the technologies available for CTC isolation which were primarily dependent on immuno-recognition and only captured a subgroup of CTCs (typically the less aggressive type). The Medical Devices research group at INL has pioneered a microfluidic system that holds the potential to transform the way we understand and fight cancer. This pioneering microfluidic chip marks a paradigm shift. The revolutionary system can efficiently and swiftly isolate all types of CTCs directly from whole blood samples, eliminating the need for complex pre-processing steps. The microfluidic chip also facilitates high-resolution imaging of the CTCs, enabling automation of the entire processing and analysis method, thus reducing user dependence, and has already been demonstrated in clinical testing to predict cancer progression up to 1 year earlier than existing technologies. The project CTC-OncoDynamics funded through the Caixa Impulse Consolidate program, and done in collaboration with INL’s spin-off company RUBYnanomed, aimed […]

Paving the Way for Cleaner Skies through Solar Innovation

The International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is a global initiative focused on raising awareness about the critical need to address air pollution and promote cleaner environments. To face the grand challenge of transforming the energy system, the European project SITA aims to explore innovative concepts for tandem solar cells. SITA: Transforming Solar Energy Technology SITA introduces a revolutionary concept in tandem solar cells with a 2-terminal (2T) approach, combining the expertise of Silicon Heterojunction (SHJ) and high bandgap Cu(In, Ga)(Se, S)2(CIGS) technologies. This project demonstrates INL’s commitment to cutting-edge research and its dedication to addressing the urgent challenges of air quality and sustainable energy. The core idea behind SITA lies in creating tandem solar cells that eliminate the need for additional cables or electronics, a feat made possible by recent advancements in wide-gap CIGS devices boasting remarkable efficiency levels, exceeding 18%. The different partners of the consortium are working to showcase the durability of these new modules under real-world outdoor conditions, promising the next generation of stable inorganic tandem solar modules with greater device efficiency. This leap in efficiency carries the potential to reduce area-related system costs substantially, and consequently lower the ‘levelized cost of electricity’ (LCOE). […]

INL researchers actively engaged in hydrogen and renewable gas research

INL researchers from the Clean Energy cluster are actively engaged in hydrogen and renewable gas research. Hydrogen holds tremendous potential to revolutionize our society in various ways. As a clean and versatile energy carrier, hydrogen offers a promising solution to mitigate climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. It can be produced from water and renewable electricity, and it can be transformed into a wide range of synthetic fuels. Advancements in hydrogen research are driving the development of efficient and cost-effective methods for hydrogen production, storage, and utilisation. Hydrogen can be directly used in fuel cells for transportation, enabling zero-emission vehicles and reducing air pollution. It can also be used in industrial processes and power generation, fostering a sustainable energy ecosystem. Furthermore, by combining hydrogen with other abundant gases, it is possible to produce methane, methanol or other renewable gases, that are compatible with existing natural gas and energy infrastructure. While these factors open up opportunities for the widespread adoption of hydrogen, there is still a need to develop more efficient electrolysers and other systems that use fewer critical raw materials. Moreover, hydrogen can be applied in various sectors, including industrial processes, power generation, and residential applications, further contributing […]

INL researchers develop a new model to predict toxicity of nanomaterials

Engineered nanomaterials based on metal oxide nanoparticles offer many promising applications – from cosmetics and sunscreens to diagnostic devices and textiles. These nanomaterials offer exciting technological properties. However, it is crucial to understand their interaction with the biological environment, such as marine, atmospheric and terrestrial ecosystems. Alarmingly, emerging studies suggest that engineered nanomaterials might present toxic effects on human lungs, and there is still no international consensus on the metrics and exposure limits of these nanomaterials, as toxicity studies are usually conducted in non-human laboratory models. Researchers from the Nanosafety research group at INL are innovating and using in silico experiments to predict the toxicity of engineered nanomaterials – i.e., these toxicity studies can be performed using an artificial intelligence-assisted and data-driven framework. João Meneses, the leading author of this study, explains “We developed a machine learning model to predict the potential human lung cell toxicity induced by metal oxide nanoparticles exposure”. The group has successfully shown that it is possible to build a simple, easy-to-interpret, and robust model aligning with the principle of Safe-by-Design. João adds that the recently published study “could pave the way for efficient decision-making, prediction, and mitigation of the potential occupational and environmental risks associated with engineered nanomaterials”. This […]